Should Chapters Continue to Use Email to Market- Yes!

Email marketing, especially at the association level, has existed since time began. Blast emails to your members, whether encouraging engagement with a chapter initiative or spotlighting an upcoming event, have long proven to be the most reliable and flexible means of getting your messaging out to most of your membership. However, growing evidence shows that email’s role in the association/chapter landscape is evolving. 

Associations Now recently released a report stating that email consumption is on the downswing. Their findings leveraged recent data from Higher Logic. According to the report, average open rates fell to 35.6 percent last year, compared to 38.2 percent in 2023. Click rates, meanwhile, grew to 3.7 percent last year, up from 2.7 percent in 2023. The report indicates that there is a lessening demand for email consumption. Still, the findings instead support that what is needed is enhanced targeting. 

Some of the recommended strategies include: 

• Shorter subject lines
• Focused body text
• Use testimonials to build trust 

In addition, Inc. takes this a step further, indicating that email could be ready to leap-frog social media regarding marketing. A lot of this has to do with the current volatility surrounding social media. Email has proven more conducive to building a strong brand voice, where one can consistently generate a narrative that can tell stories and increase engagement with your audience. In addition, there continues to be a growing trust gap between constituents and social media; email does not have that issue, primarily if it is generated by you and targeted towards your members.